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I am a German CS-Student and currently renting in a shared flat with 4 other students. We call it WG (living-community) and its really popular not only with stu

I am a German CS-Student and currently renting in a shared flat with 4 other students. We call it WG (living-community) and its really popular not only with students, but i know a lot of young professionals and even middle aged ones that share an apartment (it gained popularity in the 60s, so i think its more of an culture thing that older do not share a flat). If you are in a partnership, you can move out and share a smaller one with your partner, but if your not in a partnership (or not that close yet) i wouldn't want to miss living in a shared apartment. You come home, talk about your day, cook together and on the weekend you can go out together. There is always something going on. I can't imagine living in my own apartment all by myself. Working long and then coming home into an empty, dead, dark apartment with no one to talk to. Serious question: Why is it not very popular in other countries?

ghaff 10y ago
To each their own. After graduating from school, the last thing I had any interest in was a shared living arrangement.
- k__ 10y ago
  I live with a friend for about 8 years now and it's okay, but I wouldn't do it again when we finally part ways some day in the future.
valine 10y ago
I've always been the opposite. I can't stand coming home to an apartment filled with people. After dealing with chaos all day, I want to know there's a quiet, tidy place where I can relax. I dislike coming back and having to interact with people.
- LeanderK 10y ago
  your not forced to share your apartment, but every constellation have their own vibe. Some are quiet and mature (and most of them are not filled with students, i think thats an age thing)
- erikb 10y ago
  Yeah, for me sharing the apartment is more of a downside either. I also only know people who enjoy it because they were friends with the other sharers before they shared an apartment.
  - moosekaka 10y ago
    I have done both (shared an apartment and sole renter). I definitely prefer been the sole occupant. Personal space and privacy, not having to wait for the bathroom, sleep schedules, cleanliness of common areas (especially the kitchen, which by far has been the largest source of conflict wrt to cleanliness). Of course it is 'wasteful' and expensive to take up a whole housing unit to yourself, but some (most?) people (especially strangers) in the US do not make considerate room mates. Actually probably long term only family members learn to live together in harmony (probably because they have to).
burkaman 10y ago
This is pretty popular in the US. Most recent college graduates I know live in a shared house or apartment.
- dagw 10y ago
  Popular by choice or financial necessity?
  - burkaman 10y ago
    Yeah I was about to add a note that money is usually more of a motivator than desire for roommates. If you live with Craigslist roommates, it's probably because you couldn't afford not to. But quite a few people live with friends and enjoy it, it's pretty common to not want to live alone.
  - 6DM 10y ago
    I would argue by financial necessity, but it depends on the region I guess.
  - enraged_camel 10y ago
    Some of it is by choice. From what I've seen, even people who can afford living on their own eventually get roommates once they realize that it's hard to meet people and make new friends post-college.
  - hx87 10y ago
    Both. The marginal cost of an additional bedroom is miniscule compared to that of a studio/1 bedroom apartment, and having people to hang around with/socialize/cook is a plus.
- chank 10y ago
  I'm sure a lot of that is out of need rather than desire to do so.
thesimon 10y ago
>Serious question: Why is it not very popular in other countries? Very popular at least in London due to high rent prices.
ricksplat 10y ago
That's all well and good as long as you're a student, or partying your twenties away and as long as everybody in the house gets on .... I've done this, and while it is good fun in parts the downsides become downright tiring.
- burkaman 10y ago
  You don't have to party every weekend. Generally you choose to live with people who roughly share your lifestyle.
  - wott 10y ago
    Indeed, that's why we rather partied every weekday.
- LeanderK 10y ago
  i recently searched for a new shared apartment and there were plenty of offers that were looking explicitly for professionals and not students because of the reasons you stated above. I also know of older ones living in a shared apartment (though not as a rule). I can imagine moving together with a partner or switching apartment because of the reasons you mention above, but living alone is not something i want to do. But i understand there are reasons some don't want live in a shared apartment. I think what i want to say is that for most living in a shared apartment is not a thing out of necessity anymore, but out of choice
  - burkaman 10y ago
    In the US I think it is still a necessity for many people because a lot of cities are so expensive, but if money were out of the picture I do think a lot of people would still choose to live with their friends.
- hx87 10y ago
  > partying your twenties away and as long as everybody in the house gets on Why the assumption that all roommates everywhere are partying?
dagw 10y ago
Working long and then coming home into an empty, dead, dark apartment with no one to talk to. For me that is by far my dream scenario after a day at work.
rmc 10y ago
> Serious question: Why is it not very popular in other countries? Because some countries have much, much worse tenants rights. I moved from Ireland to Germany and in Ireland: * There is basically no protection for rent increases, some people are being told their rent is increasing by 50% * Can't change your apartment. Not allowed to paint the walls, nearly all come with furniture, better make sure you don't damage any of it. * Oh the landlord/landlord's relative wants to live in the apartment. Eviction time for you. * You give your landlord your deposit. Let's hope they can find it again if you move out. * By default, no pets allowed. And many landlords will say no. * Did I mention about the rent increases?
- fwn 10y ago
  All of this affects you less if you are in a shared flat compared to renting it alone. The flat can be vastly more expensive as you are pooling the money and flexibility is higher as you have less furniture per person and tend to be able to join/leave shared flats on less rigid schedules. (You can find many in the middle of the month, depending on the holidays etc.) I lived in a shared flat in Germany which got a rent increase and other than all the young families in the building we really barely noticed it.
  - rmc 10y ago
    > All of this affects you less if you are in a shared flat compared to renting it alone. The flat can be vastly more expensive as you are pooling the money It can still be a massive impact, because the increase can be split between all tenants. So you might have budgeted €800 per month, and now it's going up to €1,000. You've still had a 20% increase.
- jamesdelaneyie 10y ago
  Rent increases can only be performed every two years in Ireland from Dec 2015. And you must have 90 days notice of a rent increase. More info on this link: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/renting_a_home/rent_increases.html http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/renting_a_home/... The landlord's relatives issue is however the easiest way to get someone out of a property and increase rent.
6DM 10y ago
A big reason why I don't want to share a room with anyone anymore is because they don't clean. Every roommate I've ever had (so far ~11 different people), has never actually cleaned. No matter how many times I'm getting upset or having a talk. It just ends up with them washing the dishes/taking out the trash once and I'm stuck cleaning 75% of the apartment. I'm not a clean freak I just hate when the trash is overflowing and there's no clean dishes. Also, 1 almost never paid rent. Thanks to him knowing the laws better than me, there was effectively nothing I could do. We couldn't afford this at the time so we forced him out of his room and at least got another person in there for a while. Money is a huge concern for me thanks to student debt. So, when your roommate is screwing around and on the verge of getting fired it stresses me out. Right now I have another roommate who was fired and doesn't seem to care much about finding another job. They're paying rent but the landlord is pretty upset about them being chronically late and only paying $10 here and there. Every year, "due to market forces" they try to raise my rent by $100 per month, $1,200 a year. So I've been forced to move basically every year because why should I pay more when, magically, getting the exact same (but different) apartment in the same building is cheaper... Thank god this is my last roommate. I'm buying a house and I can finally sit in one spot for more than 365 days.
- erikb 10y ago
  Why not pay not pay a cleaning lady?
  - 6DM 10y ago
    Nice segue into my next point, they almost never want to split the cost on anything. I lived furnitureless for a few years until my cousin became my roommate...
Raphmedia 10y ago
> Serious question: Why is it not very popular in other countries? Nudity is frowned upon but everyone will be half-naked or naked at home. Hard to share a living space.
pjlegato 10y ago
This is called "having roommates" in the US, and it's quite common, especially among students and younger people.
- LeanderK 10y ago
  thank you. I googled 10 minutes for a translation, but since its not a direct translation it was really hard to find.

ghaff 10y ago

To each their own. After graduating from school, the last thing I had any interest in was a shared living arrangement.

k__ 10y ago
I live with a friend for about 8 years now and it's okay, but I wouldn't do it again when we finally part ways some day in the future.

valine 10y ago

I've always been the opposite. I can't stand coming home to an apartment filled with people. After dealing with chaos all day, I want to know there's a quiet, tidy place where I can relax. I dislike coming back and having to interact with people.

LeanderK 10y ago
your not forced to share your apartment, but every constellation have their own vibe. Some are quiet and mature (and most of them are not filled with students, i think thats an age thing)
erikb 10y ago
Yeah, for me sharing the apartment is more of a downside either. I also only know people who enjoy it because they were friends with the other sharers before they shared an apartment.
- moosekaka 10y ago
  I have done both (shared an apartment and sole renter). I definitely prefer been the sole occupant. Personal space and privacy, not having to wait for the bathroom, sleep schedules, cleanliness of common areas (especially the kitchen, which by far has been the largest source of conflict wrt to cleanliness). Of course it is 'wasteful' and expensive to take up a whole housing unit to yourself, but some (most?) people (especially strangers) in the US do not make considerate room mates. Actually probably long term only family members learn to live together in harmony (probably because they have to).

burkaman 10y ago

This is pretty popular in the US. Most recent college graduates I know live in a shared house or apartment.

dagw 10y ago
Popular by choice or financial necessity?
- burkaman 10y ago
  Yeah I was about to add a note that money is usually more of a motivator than desire for roommates. If you live with Craigslist roommates, it's probably because you couldn't afford not to. But quite a few people live with friends and enjoy it, it's pretty common to not want to live alone.
- 6DM 10y ago
  I would argue by financial necessity, but it depends on the region I guess.
- enraged_camel 10y ago
  Some of it is by choice. From what I've seen, even people who can afford living on their own eventually get roommates once they realize that it's hard to meet people and make new friends post-college.
- hx87 10y ago
  Both. The marginal cost of an additional bedroom is miniscule compared to that of a studio/1 bedroom apartment, and having people to hang around with/socialize/cook is a plus.
chank 10y ago
I'm sure a lot of that is out of need rather than desire to do so.

thesimon 10y ago

>Serious question: Why is it not very popular in other countries? Very popular at least in London due to high rent prices.

ricksplat 10y ago

That's all well and good as long as you're a student, or partying your twenties away and as long as everybody in the house gets on .... I've done this, and while it is good fun in parts the downsides become downright tiring.

burkaman 10y ago
You don't have to party every weekend. Generally you choose to live with people who roughly share your lifestyle.
- wott 10y ago
  Indeed, that's why we rather partied every weekday.
LeanderK 10y ago
i recently searched for a new shared apartment and there were plenty of offers that were looking explicitly for professionals and not students because of the reasons you stated above. I also know of older ones living in a shared apartment (though not as a rule). I can imagine moving together with a partner or switching apartment because of the reasons you mention above, but living alone is not something i want to do. But i understand there are reasons some don't want live in a shared apartment. I think what i want to say is that for most living in a shared apartment is not a thing out of necessity anymore, but out of choice
- burkaman 10y ago
  In the US I think it is still a necessity for many people because a lot of cities are so expensive, but if money were out of the picture I do think a lot of people would still choose to live with their friends.
hx87 10y ago
> partying your twenties away and as long as everybody in the house gets on Why the assumption that all roommates everywhere are partying?

dagw 10y ago

Working long and then coming home into an empty, dead, dark apartment with no one to talk to. For me that is by far my dream scenario after a day at work.

rmc 10y ago

> Serious question: Why is it not very popular in other countries? Because some countries have much, much worse tenants rights. I moved from Ireland to Germany and in Ireland: * There is basically no protection for rent increases, some people are being told their rent is increasing by 50% * Can't change your apartment. Not allowed to paint the walls, nearly all come with furniture, better make sure you don't damage any of it. * Oh the landlord/landlord's relative wants to live in the apartment. Eviction time for you. * You give your landlord your deposit. Let's hope they can find it again if you move out. * By default, no pets allowed. And many landlords will say no. * Did I mention about the rent increases?

fwn 10y ago
All of this affects you less if you are in a shared flat compared to renting it alone. The flat can be vastly more expensive as you are pooling the money and flexibility is higher as you have less furniture per person and tend to be able to join/leave shared flats on less rigid schedules. (You can find many in the middle of the month, depending on the holidays etc.) I lived in a shared flat in Germany which got a rent increase and other than all the young families in the building we really barely noticed it.
- rmc 10y ago
  > All of this affects you less if you are in a shared flat compared to renting it alone. The flat can be vastly more expensive as you are pooling the money It can still be a massive impact, because the increase can be split between all tenants. So you might have budgeted €800 per month, and now it's going up to €1,000. You've still had a 20% increase.
jamesdelaneyie 10y ago
Rent increases can only be performed every two years in Ireland from Dec 2015. And you must have 90 days notice of a rent increase. More info on this link: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/renting_a_home/rent_increases.html http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/renting_a_home/... The landlord's relatives issue is however the easiest way to get someone out of a property and increase rent.

6DM 10y ago

A big reason why I don't want to share a room with anyone anymore is because they don't clean. Every roommate I've ever had (so far ~11 different people), has never actually cleaned. No matter how many times I'm getting upset or having a talk. It just ends up with them washing the dishes/taking out the trash once and I'm stuck cleaning 75% of the apartment. I'm not a clean freak I just hate when the trash is overflowing and there's no clean dishes. Also, 1 almost never paid rent. Thanks to him knowing the laws better than me, there was effectively nothing I could do. We couldn't afford this at the time so we forced him out of his room and at least got another person in there for a while. Money is a huge concern for me thanks to student debt. So, when your roommate is screwing around and on the verge of getting fired it stresses me out. Right now I have another roommate who was fired and doesn't seem to care much about finding another job. They're paying rent but the landlord is pretty upset about them being chronically late and only paying $10 here and there. Every year, "due to market forces" they try to raise my rent by $100 per month, $1,200 a year. So I've been forced to move basically every year because why should I pay more when, magically, getting the exact same (but different) apartment in the same building is cheaper... Thank god this is my last roommate. I'm buying a house and I can finally sit in one spot for more than 365 days.

erikb 10y ago
Why not pay not pay a cleaning lady?
- 6DM 10y ago
  Nice segue into my next point, they almost never want to split the cost on anything. I lived furnitureless for a few years until my cousin became my roommate...

Raphmedia 10y ago

> Serious question: Why is it not very popular in other countries? Nudity is frowned upon but everyone will be half-naked or naked at home. Hard to share a living space.

pjlegato 10y ago

This is called "having roommates" in the US, and it's quite common, especially among students and younger people.

LeanderK 10y ago
thank you. I googled 10 minutes for a translation, but since its not a direct translation it was really hard to find.